The Shadow Line Episode Three (BBC-2 19 May 2011)

In episode three of The Shadow Line Andy Dixon the man who was chauffeuring Harvey Wratten at the time of his murder has been rescued from the arms of both the police and Jay Wratten by the mysterious Gatehouse who makes it plain that Dixon will have to have a face to face meeting with Jay sooner rather than later. Dixon does tell Gatehouse though that Wratten’s last words were “Bob Harris says hello”…

In episode two we learnt that Joseph Bede had spent 1.5 million pounds and five years gaining legitimacy to set up an undetectable drugs line which he plans to make a serious fortune from, but to make it possible he needs to work with Harvey’s two biggest competitors Bulkat Babur and Mr Bob Harris himself.

On the police investigation front things are growing murkier for Gabriel, internal affairs believe that he is a thief with frugs money from a heroin haul having gone missing. (We know of course that Gabriel is suffering from memory loss surrounding his accident and actually does have a cache of money stored in his walk in wardrobe. Revelations abound even further when DS Honey follows Gabriel and discovers he has a secret second life.

Rafe Spall as the unbalanced Jay Wrattan is quite simply superb. Every time he appears on the screen you get a shiver down the back of the neck, he’s completely unpredictable and like a cobra you really never know whether he will strike or not. Equally good is Stephen Rea as the black gloved sinister character that is Gatehouse.

production details
UK | BBC2

RUNNING TIME: 60 minutes | AIRDATE: Thursday May 19 2011 @ 9.00pm

WRITER and DIRECTOR: Hugo Blick

Series: The Shadow Line Episode 3 (of 7)

cast
CHRISTOPHER ECCLESTON as Joseph Bede
RAFE SPALL as Jay Wratten
CHIWETEL EJIOFOR as Jonah Gabriel
STEPHEN REA as Gatehouse
RICHARD LINTERN as Patterson
KIERSTON WAREING as Lia Honey
LESLEY SHARP as Julie Bede
MALCOLM STORRY as Maurice Crace
DAVID SCHOFIELD as Sergeant Foley
CLARE CALBRAITH as Laura Gabriel
TOBI BAKARE as Andy Dixon
ANJELA LAUREN SMITH as Julie’s Nurse
BRYONY AFFERSON as Sara
GEORGE SAVVIDES as Turkish Man
SHARON D CLARKE as Mrs Dixon
SAMUEL JAMES as Marshall
TOBIAS MENZIES as Ross McGovern
SEAN GILDER as Robert Beatty
ADRIENNE SCOTT as Alison
LARA ROSSI as Photographer